30,000 Feet Over Chicago
by petalpink
Summary: Alternate ending for Leaving Las Vegas. Grissom realizes he's forgotten something...GrissomSara.EDIT: Forgot disclaimer, I do not own CSI.


I read CSI fan fiction all the time, I'm pretty confident I've read every single Grissom/Sara fanfic there is to read, but I've never been compelled to write something of my own until after "Leaving Las Vegas" aired last night and I was disappointed with the lack of GSR. So, voila.

By the way, I have no idea where Grissom went on sabbatical, I just say Chicago because I live in it…and Gil Grissom coming here for 4 weeks would be amazing.

Summary: Alternate ending for Leaving Las Vegas. Grissom realizes he's forgotten something...Grissom/Sara.

**30,000 Feet Over Chicago**

30,000 feet over Chicago, Gil Grissom was supposed to be immersed in the phylogenetic relationships of _Megaselia abdita_. His first lecture the next morning at the University of Illinois kicked off with the lower cyclorrhaphan fly, and he was hoping it would be a hit.

Instead, he was laughing.

People were starting to look at him, especially his first class seat mate previously absorbed in _Home Business Magazine_.

Tears were starting to leak from his eyes and he took his glasses off, placing them on the plastic divider next to him.

One of the flight attendants came over, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, sir?

Grissom only started laughing harder, barely managing to nod as the wetness searing down his cheeks.

Thinking back on it, he guessed it was his one real way of coping with his new found epiphany.

Gil Grissom just realized he loved Sara Sidle, and he was 30,000 feet over Chicago.

Grissom never had trouble concentrating, especially on flights. The quiet left him ever attuned with his thoughts, and his lecture notes practically leapt from hand to note card.

This particular flight, however, was different.

Instead of entering his usual bugs-and-only-bugs mind vortex, his brain felt like it was flipping channels, constantly blipping back to Las Vegas, back to Sara.

He tried to ignore it at first, pressing the pen harder into the card.

_You know, high altitude enhances the entire sexual experience. It increases the euphoria   
_

Insects are usually the first animals to find and colonize a corpse_   
_

_It's easy to wear your heart on your sleeve when you aren't looking in his eyes   
_

_…._fauna associated with a corpse usually follows a predictable successional sequence…

_I'd like to get some flowers for a girl. Ooh, not flowers, a plant. A living plant. She likes vegetation. _

_…_a niche which is a place in time and space for which they are best suited_   
_

_Since I met you.   
_

…dependent on temperature of their surroundings for development…

_Pin me down.   
_

…how fast an insect develops at different temperatures and if we know the temperatures where the body was found…

_We have a big decision to make, right? Because we have to risk everything we've worked for in order to have her   
_

…they ingest and bio-accumulate chemicals that may_   
_

_I guess some people just shouldn't be together   
_

…been shown to accumulate detectable levels…

_I think fantasies are best kept private. _

…predict time of death…

_I'm not ready to say goodbye.   
_

…general use of insects and other arthropods in legal issues_   
_

_I won't wait up.   
_

_…four stages of decay…   
_

_I'll miss you. _

That was it.

Throwing everything into disarray, he signaled frantically to the attendant.

"How much longer until we land?"

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Back in Vegas, Sara Sidle was napping on Grissom's desk, completely unaware of his euphoric realization a few states away. She had pulled a double that night, and instead of returning to their empty townhouse, retreated to the place where she found the most solace in his absence. Even if she wasn't fond of the various insects, it was the closest she could be to him at the moment.

Sara wasn't one to sleep deeply, however, which is why she let out a high pitched squeal that gave even Greg a run for his money.

The door of Grissom's office had just been flung open.

Seemingly insignificant except for the fact that it had been flung by Gil Grissom himself.

Still shaking from the intrusion, Sara stood abruptly

"Grissom…what are you doing here?" She struggled to maintain her balance, knees wobbling all over the place, because she could not interpret the look in his eyes.

He placed his suitcases on the ground, walking over and steadying her by the shoulders.

"I could ask you the same question, honey." He smiled mischievously.

_Okay…so he's either completely lost it or he's up to somethin_g, she thought.

He let go of her, slumping into his office chair and bringing Sara with him on his lap.

She eyed the open door warily, opening her mouth to say something.

"I don't care", he said sternly, but his eyes and hold on her were gentle.

_Okay, he's lost it_

She closed her mouth, waiting expectantly, watching him carefully.

Grissom looked at her, tenderly tucking a stray stand of chocolate hair behind her ear.

He closed his eyes, deciding that he might as well just say it.

"I was 30,000 miles over Chicago when I realized I hadn't told you I love you."

He looked away, unsure of her reaction.

He opened his eyes again when he felt her cool hand on his face, bright eyes swimming with tears.

"You were 3 feet out the door when I realized you'd forgotten."

She leaned in, and he met her halfway.

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The fly I mention in the first paragraph is indeed a real insect I randomly chose courtesy of google. The entomology information and GSR quotes are both courtesy of two lovely sites I refer to a lot, as I am majoring in Forensics. However, it's not letting me post the URLs, so anyone interested in them can feel free to e-mail me.

Anyway, I wrote this at 1 in the morning…it probably has errors and I apologize. Please leave a review on your way out…flames will be used to keep me warm at night.

Love ,

Kiki


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